Globally, methamphetamine use is increasing and its use has the potential to impact the global effort to address HIV infection. An emerging body of evidence is identifying methamphetamine use as an important factor in new HIV infections. Methamphetamine use is associated with sexual risk behavior, including higher numbers of sex partners, and unprotected anal and vaginal sex. Recent studies in Sub- Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia have shown increasing use of methamphetamine among men who have sex with men (MSM) and in some sexual networks comprising young females. In Cape Town, South Africa, the proportion of patients reporting meth- amphetamine as their primary substance of abuse increased from 0.1% to 35% between 1999 and 2005. There is a need for comprehensive interventions to address overlapping drug and sexual risk behaviors related to methamphetamine use. This round table will present and discuss current drug use findings and the importance of integrating interventions to reduce methamphetamine use in HIV prevention programs and national media campaigns. Discussions will center around the need for diverse interventions to address the various most-at-risk populations and overcoming barriers to stigma and access to drug treatment. Thomas Kresina is a Senior Pubic Health Advisor in the Division of Pharmacologic Therapies, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and functions as the full-time liaison to the US Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator. His duties are to participate on Technical Wo rk i n g G r o u p s o f t h e P r e s i d e n t ’ s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and review Country Operational Plans and other documents at the direction of the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator for issues related to medication assisted treatment of substance abuse for HIV prevention and other issues related to infectious diseases and addiction. Most recently, Dr. Kresina was the Deputy Director of the Center on AIDS and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse (CAMCODA) at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH. Since 1993, he served at NIH in four Institutes, developing and administering both domestic and international research programs in HIV and liver disease related to hepatitis infections. In academia, Dr. Kresina’s research programs at Case Western Reserve University and Brown University involved infectious and liver diseases with international research programs in China, the Philippines and Egypt. He has over 100 research and health services publications related to infectious diseases, substance abuse, and global health.

First global conference on methamphetamine science, strategy and response, Prague, 15-16 September 2008